Renovations to U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart family housing will go a long way in improving quality of life for military families stationed at Robinson and Kelley Barracks in Germany.
"Once the Kelley project is complete, (every) home will have been renovated," said Mary Scott, USAG Stuttgart Housing Office director.
Seven newly renovated buildings on Robinson Barracks have been returned to the garrison housing office. Plus the office has added three of seven buildings on Kelley Barracks back to its inventory.
Renovations to the remaining four buildings are expected to be completed in April, with both projects costing more than $34 million combined.
Proud of the renovations and the improvements they deliver, Scott said: "We right-sized the apartments. We went down from 18 to 12 apartments in each building."
Consequently, families with several children will now be accommodated on Kelley Barracks. "We've always had a lot of large families, and we've never been able to provide for them on base. The largest unit we had was four-bedrooms," said Scott.
There will be 84 five-bedroom units, each 2,200 square feet, once the Kelley project is complete, said Scott.
"The bedrooms are huge - none of them are the size of a glorified walk-in closet," said John Gerlach, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers resident engineer for Stuttgart, who oversaw the projects. "When we say five bedrooms, we mean it."
"Everything's been modernized," he continued. "It's beautiful. There are all new ceramic tiles; the plumbing fixtures and the bathrooms are gorgeous."
The apartments on Robinson Barracks are just as nice, according to Scott. "Where there were 18 two-, three- and four-bedroom units, now there are 12 three-bedroom apartments, each (measuring) 1,600 square feet. They are absolutely gorgeous inside."
"The master bedroom has walk-in closets," she added. "No place else in our inventory do we have true walk-in closets. The bathrooms and laundry rooms are large, and they have a separate dining area."
As new families arrive they will occupy the renovated apartments.
Scott concedes not everyone is a fan of living on base but there are advantages. "Living on base offers certain conveniences, such as being able to walk to school or work; free AFN television; 110- and 220-volt outlets," she said.
Additionally, "With the exchange rate, the cost of heating oil and the weakness of the dollar - when you live on post you don't have to worry about it. The only additional cost is the phone," said Scott.
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